The 2025 Crunchyroll Awards held last year showcased the overwhelming dominance of comic-based animation series based on author Chugong. solo leveling. Sung Jin-Woo's Story resonated with many people despite being released alongside other big hits in 2024, beating out all the competition to take home the top prize. Due to the enormous popularity of this series, not only was it selected as the animation of the year, but the main character, Seong Jin-woo, was also selected as the best protagonist through a hot selection.
However, in 2026, the results were overturned. solo leveling The grip on the top tier has loosened and a variety of winners have emerged. At the recent Crunchyroll Awards held in Tokyo on May 23, 2026, Solo Leveling faced stiff competition and missed out on a number of awards. Surprisingly, the final winner who dethroned Jinwoo in the best protagonist category was none other than him. The Apothecary Diaries Mao Mao. The victory is deserved, but shocking nonetheless.
Solo Leveling Seong Jin-woo was selected as the best protagonist at last year's Crunchyroll Awards.
The Crunchyroll Awards have been held every year since its inception nine years ago in 2017. As large-scale animation streaming platforms host awards ceremonies, the results are always highly anticipated among fans. Due to its popularity, Solo Leveling in 2025 was nominated for multiple awards. It ended up being the biggest winner, taking home most of the prizes.
Solo Leveling follows the story of Seong Jin-woo, written by creator Choo Gong and brought to life by Aniplex and A-1 Pictures. It became an immediate hit after its debut in January 2024. The first season consisted of 12 episodes and was an amazing show with Jin-Woo winning over the system and becoming the Shadow Lord, taking power early on.
While receiving the most notable award: solo leveling In the 2025 Animation of the Year category, the main character Seong Jin-woo also stood out by winning the title of best main character. To win this title, Jinwoo had to get more votes than characters like Freeren. Freeren: Beyond the end of the journeyFrom Maomao apothecary's diaryAnd Momo Dan Dan Dan. But this year Maomao took first place.
Solo Leveling has officially closed a legendary Crunchyroll record to become the biggest anime of all time.
Solo Leveling is closer than ever to setting a major record for Crunchyroll, a milestone that will officially make it the platform's biggest series yet.
Crown Maomao was selected as the best protagonist at the 2026 Crunchyroll Awards.
The 2026 Crunchyroll Awards announced the winners on May 23, 2026. Voting began on April 2 and candidates were also announced. Voting officially closed on April 14, 2026. On May 23, 2916, the results were finally released. During the voting period, a total of 73 million votes were cast, setting a phenomenal record. This year, I was disappointed to learn that Solo Leveling wasn't nominated for Animation of the Year, but it was at least selected for other awards, including Best Protagonist. Unfortunately for the series, it lost out to Maomao from The Apothecary Diaries in this category.
In addition to Solo Leveling's Jinwoo and Apothecary Diary's Maomao, the nominees were My Hero Academia's Deku, Danda Dan's Okarun, Danda Dan's Momo Ayase, and Gachiakuta's Ludo Shrebreck. After all, Maomao excelled in the second season of The Apothecary Diaries last year, where her relationships with Jinshi and Shisui were explored to the fullest, leading her to take home the grand prize. Maomao is a character who continues to develop with each passing chapter, and I, along with millions of others, have come to absolutely love her character arc. It especially stood out in season 2 of The Apothecary Diaries, which aired from January 10 to July 4, 2025 last year.
Even though Maomao is the best character, I was surprised to see her beat Jinwoo. Especially after losing to Jinwoo last year. As a result, Mao Mao took away Jinwoo's opportunity to become the first person to win twice in a row, but Mao Mao deserved it. Her wit in solving the mysteries surrounding Huang Sheng has made her a fan-favorite character, and she doesn't need a heated battle to earn their love.
Who is that character?
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
start
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Eternal Death (2.5 seconds)
Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling are still competing with new upcoming projects.
apothecary diary and solo leveling are two anime series that debuted around the same time in 2024. Therefore, the two anime genres are often compared even though they belong to very different animation genres. Fans will always prefer one or the other, but it's undeniable that both were very popular and ranked as one of the best shows of last year.
The Apothecary Diaries returns for its third animated season in October 2026. The first official movie release is also scheduled for December 2026, based on a new original story from producer Natsu Hyuga. Meanwhile, Sung Jin-woo's story remains without an announced project, but recent comments from the producer and Crunchyroll CEO suggest a major reveal may be coming in the coming months.
Both The Apothecary Diaries and Solo Leveling are available on Crunchyroll.
